Zoloft

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Zoloft is a drug that was released by the Pfizer corporation in 1991 which aimed at fighting depression. The FDA approved Zoloft in October of 1997. Zoloft is a member of the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor family, which increases serotonin levels in the synapse by blocking serotonin reuptake into brain cells.
Official Zoloft Site
If you or someone you know has had a problem with Zoloft feel free to call the advertising section of FDA at (301) 827-2828. Also fill out the Medwatch form and also call FDA at 1-800-FDA 1088 press 0 or call (301) 443-1240.

Zoloft Feedback and Side Effects

I have been taking Zoloft for 10 years and while it did help with my depression I started to get some really strange side effects. For the last year I have been seeing tracers or trails of light when something moves in my field of vision. Anytime I try tapering off the meds the tracers get worse. I also get the electrical zaps throughout my body which makes me thing I might have a seizure. I hate this medication. Has anyone experienced tracers from it?

Hi, I went on Zoloft two years ago for panic and anxiety. I have to say that it definitely gave me my life back. I can do so many things I was unable to do...even after behavior modification which helped a lot also.
However, I have gained weight and am at a loss of how to control it. My doctor told me that it DOES cause weight gain and told me to push away from the table. (Ha!) Well I now have the most intense craving for sweets.
In spite of being an active person I've gained 10 Pounds and this was after the 20 pounds I put on with Prozac.
I really don't know what to do but I feel like I am close to being obese for my small frame.

Where to start? I decided to contribute to this blog because if what I have to say helps someone, then that is the way it is meant to be.

I'm 48, female, in very good health. I have been on and off Zoloft at 100 dosage level for 13 years. (Regularly medically supervised) Although I have not experienced serious side effects on the medication that others mention, I have observed a cycle that happens when I do discontinue the medication, at one time for as long as nearly two years.

Eventually, once I'm off the medication, I find myself making unwise decisions, forming unhealthy relationships,obsessions, and indulgences which lead to becoming depressed again. It cycles: I get off Zoloft - I feel fine thinking I'm doing well cruising along in control, happy and satisfied, then slowly but surely, things go haywire on me. Then it's crash and burn, back to therapy and back on the medication. Over the years, this has happened to varying degrees three/four times.

When I'm on Zoloft, I'm happy, confident, balanced, joyful. Don't get me wrong - life isn't perfect. I have a full spectrum of feelings: dissapointment, frustration and saddness as well as contentment, happiness, and inner peace. For want of a better way to put it, my mood/attitude elevator stops on all floors, but because of Zoloft, it doesn't go any lower than the ground floor. Off of Zoloft, I've gotten to the sub-level of the underground parking garage!!

I know you've all heard it before but I'll say it again, medication is part of the management of depression. The other part is self-examination and spirtual realization. I'm not talking necessarily about a big white light epiphany or a "born again experience," but we all must find the wherewithall to make a journey to some type of inner exploration, understanding and acceptance. This is a big part of feeling better and getting to be your true self.

Anti-depressants aren't "happy pills" or "feelgoods." They are made to keep you out of the "parking garage," so you can get a grip on the real (as opposed to self-created) challenges of living before you.

In my case, for whatever my physical construct is, Zoloft has worked well for me and has contributed to me being my "real self." The person I am on the medication is the person I like and want to be. I've come to accept that sometimes that's the way it is. Yes, I am concerned about long term effects Zoloft, but I know what being without it is about all too well - and I'm done playing that game.

I truly feel for those who have difficulty in finding the right med. I can hardly imagine how frustrating that must be. If you're reading this site, you too must have some concerns. I wish you well in your journey.

I have just started taking zoloft and been on it for about a mth now. I was taking prozac for yrs and it was a truly "miracle drug" but I kept going off of it. Latly I have been feeling extremly sad and irritated. I find it hard to smile. I am noticing sexual side effects also and the whole gamma of stomach problems. I am angry much of my waking momments and depressed far worse than before i started it. I don't compare it to prozac in any way as far as it's ability with ME to take away my OCD or depression. I believe i am going off it today before i get any worse.

I'm a 'normal' 34 year old male. About a year ago, something broke in my head and I ended up in the ER with what turned out to be a panic attack. From that day on, I started grinding my teeth, twitching, I lost all ability to focus (I'd go into these detached day-dream like states, I'm sure some of you know what I'm talking about). I seemed to be a lot more nervous around people wondering if I was going to get another attack.

I tried Paxil for a few weeks and it was the worst experience of my life.

I tried tofranil (which is a tricyclic, that helped my mother but not me) and then neuronton. Nothing really seemed to help.

I just recently went on Zoloft. I'm on my 4th day of 25 mgs, and it's already made a huge difference in my work and personal life (for many people it may take a few weeks to fully kick in, if it gets better, that's find with me). Like someone else mentioned in a post, it feels like my brain is being fixed.

The points I'd like to make are:
1) everyone's chemistry is different. make the commitment to find the med that works for you and stick with your doctor. Don't be afraid to call after hours. They're paid to make you better. I made the mistake of thinking I knew it all and jumped around to get 2nd and 3rd opinions and ended up delaying my recovery for over a year

2) regarding all of the negative posts on the internet, I'd like to point out that there are 10's of Millions (that's right) of people on anxiety and anti-depressant meds. If you've been depressed or anxious, and you've finally found the right med, the last thing you're probably going to do is turn on your PC and post "I couldn't be happier, this worked for me" message on the internet. You're going to be out enjoying your new found life. But, if you haven't found the right med, and your sitting awake at 3am, you're going to be posting messages trying to find a solution for yourself. My advice? Ignore the negative posts and take in the positive ones. You'll find the cure that works for you!

[moderator comment: I do not post messages very frequently anymore for two main reasons:
I don't want this site to exclusively represent my bias. My method of collecting feedback may be prone to some biases, but I don't want all the feedbacks to only fit my bias. I am glad John is doing well :)
I make no money off this site and it is hard to keep up with the regular work I doI would not recommend blindly ignoring any advice or feedback. I would read what I thought might be useful and then evaluate it with what others have to say.

Sometimes less information is best, but when it comes to balancing your mental health and lifestyle there is no one person who knows what you need more than you do (your doctors may think they know, but unless they spend a ton of time with you learning who you are they are going to be doing some amount of an educated guess - after all, there has to be some reason many people jump from one drug to the next).

You may need medication. You may need therapy. You may need social or physical or mental outlets. You may need time. I don't know specifically what you need though.

I live by the theory that nearly everything you see or do acts as a drug which effects the way you think. If you are not eating healthy that can be a problem. If you are not sleeping regularly that can be a problem. Instead of just isolating a symptom or two or only taking the advice of any one person it is best to read wide and read often to help you better understand why you think the way you think and do the things you do.

Even if the medication does help cure some of the symptoms there are still other fundamental things we all can do to make our own lives more enjoyable.]

I have been on Zoloft for over 4 years and it has been the best thing that has ever happened to me. I has social anxiety, depression and chest pains and everything in between before I started to take Zoloft 100 mg and now I feel fine. However, I know it's something that I should concider getting off from. You can try Yoga and that is a great balance for your life. It has helped me very much.

I have taken Zoloft for 5 months after I had my son. I thought at first that it was working to control my mood swings. Soon after, I realized a lot of side effects I did not like. I first had serious sexual side effects that was said to be a problem of only males. I am female and could not have orgasm. Also, I feel like I was in a fog all the time. I could not think straight half the time. The min thing was that even though the crankiness was better, I realized that I was numb when it came to emotion. I had not reaction to things that were sad or happy. I did not feel in control. I think that taking a drug like Zoloft should help you feel more in control rather than in another world! I came off it by myself and it has been a little trying, but I have realized that I am in control of my liefe, and that is what is important. It was more a headache than it was worth. I would not recommend it. I feel there is a lot that Dr.'s do not know. That scares me, b/c you hear of all these meds that are found to be harmful to us. Idon't trust them.

A few years ago I was prescribed Zoloft for mild depression. At the time I didn't make the connection, but almost immediately I started craving alcohol! Day and night. I couldn't drink enough of it and none of the bad things that were happening in my life could stop me from drinking. I was obsessed with alcohol. I'm lucky to still be alive today(I got in a car accident while I was intoxicated). To anyone who's attitude towards alcohol has changed while on Zoloft: Tell your doctor! This isn't normal.

I have been taking Zoloft for over 4 years for panic disorder with agoraphobia. I have taken a range of doses up to 125 mg. I don't think that it really helped me that much. I still have frequent troubling "what-if" feelings and definitely get panic-attack sensations.

I was recently told to increase my dosage to 150 mg. It has been about two weeks and I don't feel any change yet. Does anyone have any insight on this or am I just immune to Zoloft?

I can relate to what Dianne from Australia said above. I was very depressed as a child (my first grade teacher noted the concern to my mother...that's in the early 70's!) and had suicidal thoughts started at age 11. Needless to say adolescence and early adulthood weren't exactly an improvement. I've been on Zoloft for 10 years this month. Everyone around me is happy that it has worked well for me (I guess it makes their lives a little easier, too, they always worried about me a lot). Sometimes a feel a little "guilty" I guess about taking meds. I often want to go off of them, but I think back to my personal history and think...maybe this is something I need. I've had no side effects other than the first couple of days where there was insomnia and jitteryness. Since then absolutely none...alas, not even the weight loss ;)

I'm glad there's a forum here to speak ones mind. Zoloft has gotten the most negative press and maybe the people with so many bad reactions don't have a chemical imbalance that needs to be treated with meds...maybe they need cognitive therapy instead. I definitely would use caution when taking any medicine that has strong psychiatric effects. But for me, Zoloft has been a miracle drug.

Hi! My name is Kelli and I have been on zoloft for 2 and 1/2 months for panic attacks.It all started when I had a allergic reaction to keflex and my throat started to up on me and I was rushed to the ER.My Dr. started me on 50mg at first and when I went for my check up 2 weeks later she moved me up to 100mg.At first I was feeling back to my NORMAL self and for the past 2 weeks,I have not been feeling like myself.I am 23 years old and I hate having to depend on it to make feel good.
Last night I woke up in a sweat,my heart was beating fast. Since I've been on this I have had hot flashes,chills in the middle of the afternoon,
acid reflex,my shoulders every now and then will twitch,I get constipated,gained about 10-15 lbs,
very tired at times,and just keep waking up at night. I just want to feel like the old happy,bubbley Kelli that I use to be.I have a Dr.'s Appt tomorrow to see about her lowering my doseage and to work my way down to get off of this.I think that there are people that do suffer depression who need to be on meds to help them,but I do wish now that I would have done some research on Zoloft before I started to take it.Even my husband has noticed a diffrence in me.
thanks!Kelli form FL

Hi! My name is Kelli and I have been on zoloft for 2 and 1/2 months for panic attacks.It all started when I had a allergic reaction to keflex and my throat started to up on me and I was rushed to the ER.My Dr. started me on 50mg at first and when I went for my check up 2 weeks later she moved me up to 100mg.At first I was feeling back to my NORMAL self and for the past 2 weeks,I have not been feeling like myself.I am 23 years old and I hate having to depend on it to make feel good.
Last night I woke up in a sweat,my heart was beating fast. Since I've been on this I have had hot flashes,chills in the middle of the afternoon,
acid reflex,my shoulders every now and then will twitch,I get constipated,gained about 10-15 lbs,
very tired at times,and just keep waking up at night. I just want to feel like the old happy,bubbley Kelli that I use to be.I have a Dr.'s Appt tomorrow to see about her lowering my doseage and to work my way down to get off of this.I think that there are people that do suffer depression who need to be on meds to help them,but I do wish now that I would have done some research on Zoloft before I started to take it.Even my husband has noticed a diffrence in me.
thanks!Kelli from FL

I'm 18 my doctor put me on Zoloft, now i'm tired all the time I have panic attacks, had to go to the hopital because I started to tremor so bad and started freaking out, I'm having sexual side effects no libido and when I do have a sexual encounter with my partner I can not orgasm.

I wanted to know if anyone on Zoloft has had severe bruising/I have been on it for about 2 wks and seem to have big bruise marks all over my legs. I also have had severe sweating issues where I feel so warm...are these normal?

I posted on December 5, 2004 (www.depressionblog.com/archives/000049.shtml#comments) regarding drinking and zoloft.

Since starting Zoloft in 2003, I have been drinking far more heavily than ever before. As a result (and perhaps unrelated to drinking, but related to metabolism changes brought on my the Zoloft??) I have gained FORTY yes FORTY pounds in 2 years. My eating has not changed much. The PERCENT increase in weight is HUGE. I went from 100 pounds to 142 pounds.

I am thankful that this drug helped me to get my life back on track. I am also hopeful that upon stopping it (which I am in the process of doing) my weight will be normal again. The extra fat on my body does NOTHING for my self-esteem.

After reading so many scary stories about negative reactions to weaning off this drug, I'm very nervous about it. I will be dropping doses very slowly over the next month.

PLEASE use the utmost discretion in deciding whether or not the benefits outweigh the risks of this drug. I am happy to say that I am no longer the screaming maniac I was, but I also have 40 pounds and heaving drinking to show for it.

I had been on zoloft for 6 years first 25mg then 50 mg then 100mg. this is has been my 4th day without the drug. my doctor told me 2 weeks was enough to taper off. they didnt seem to work anymore. i was tired of feeling numb to everything. well now i feel like im in a living hell. i am constantly dizzy. i dont even feel relativley normal anymore. i still am having the horrid nightmares like i always did. the insane body shocks. no one who hasnt been on these drugs and tried to get off of them can possible know how i feel. i am so tired,,yet at night i cannot sleep. how long am i going to feel like this?? today i broke down crying hysterically.felt like killing myself. i just want to feel like me again. god i pray this doesnt last weeks,will i even make it

I have been taking zoloft for about 5 years off and on. In my case it raises my cholesterol by about 50 or more points. I used to average 225 when I was on 100mg of zoloft it went up to 300 or more. When I was of the drug my number went doen to 185 to 210 range. Now I hear that low cholesterol levels increase depression. Is that true??? Thanks

I have taken zoloft for about six months. I just stopped it a few times because i ran out and didnt make it to get more right away. I had no side effects when i suddenly stopped. The zoloft really helped me. I will keep taking it for a while. I took effexor for a year. It was horrible. I was so hot all the time. When i stopped it i had bad night mares and was dizzy. This last about a month or more. The zoloft doesnt cause me any side effects, even when i stop taking it. It has worked great for me.

I have been on Zoloft for nearly 2 weeks and have noticed a DRAMATIC change. Like someone previous said, "my brain feels like its being fixed". I'm alot happier, I'm more paitent, I'm enjoying my family more and the "little" things aren't this huge catastophie that they used to be. I have noticed some odd side effects, my teeth chatter (LOL) not enough that a passerby will notice, just enough for me too. I feel nauseated alot of the time. And have 'dizzy' spells that dont last long. Small price to pay compared to how i 'used' to be!

apart from my teeth chattering, i recommend Zoloft. It's helped me put things in perspective and deal with issues I had definitly been avoiding. I feel nausea, which I was warned I might due to an auto immune diease I have also.

I've been taking zoloft for 3 weeks now. The first week was @25mg and the following @50. I have been dealing with a medical enigma that no DR had an answer to for the past 2 years and had suddenly been waking up with my heart pounding. The pounding would continue for hours and started affecting my daily life so I was put on zoloft. The good parts: I still wake up with my heart pounding, but its less severe and lasts a shorter amount of time. Also I donít seem to be as bothered by depressing events. The bad: My vision seems to be impaired, it takes great concentration for me to be able to lock onto and read things now, and everything seems a bit hazy. Mentally I find it harder to concentrate and I feel like im out of it all the time. I also donít really feel any happier. My medical condition has caused me to lose 25% of my body weight and I'm dangerously thin now. When I started taking zoloft my appetite totally went away and I was always nauseous after taking my daily pill. I realize that I may still be adjusting to the meds, but has anyone else had these problems, and if so did they go away after taking zoloft for a longer period of time? Iím really worried about getting sick from not eating, and have been trying to force food down, but it takes so much effort.

I have had a rough year and resolved to zoloft within 12 months i gained 30 pounds. I have weened myself off and in three weeks i have already lost 9 pounds. i feel that i am not sleeping as much and cant sit still and am more on the go than ever. Im back to being me and like that more than ever i feel like i was looking out a screen through a window and now im outside. Yeh it helped my depression but eing heavy is not an added bonus.

I was wondering...have had panic attacks for the past two weeks, Dr gave me zoloft only taking 12.5 mg and it is the fourth day. I feel A LOT better with the anxiety level. However, I have noticed I am having some very severe dizzy spells. I am wondering if anyone can tell me how long these spells might last? I am not sure what I should do? Thanks so much!

my grandson hates the world, and he thinks everyone hates him, he picks up on who is treated
better than he is , like i broake a glass and told my 10 yr old grandson not to walk across the floor, my 21 yr old felt bad because i didn't tell., on on on but he is very hard to be around.elh

I'm a 45 yr old male. I've been taking Zoloft 50mg for 3 years. Frankly, it was godsend. Depression, and occasional severe anxiety, gone. Completely GONE. Replaced by a real calmness. I was really amazed that anything could do this.

The side effect has been drowsiness... I can sleep 10 hours a day, which has been alright for me, because I kind of like to take naps, and enjoy sleeping. But after 3 years of enjoying calm drowsiness, with no depression, I've decided I really would like to be more alert, so, I'm now supplementing with sam-e. But that's a different story.

As far as sexual side effects, I have the delayed orgasm thing. But there's a positive side that I don't see written about. The "delayed orgasm" is another way of saying you last longer, as a guy, so it equals longer pleasure. And you're not interested in sex every minute and every second of the day, which is a nice change for some people. Plus, if I want the normal sexual experience, I skip dosage for a day, which is no big deal, and I'm pretty much back to normal.

When they make Zoloft without the drowsiness, then it will be a perfect drug, as far as I'm concerned. In the meantime, I consider it a very good option to escape intolerable depression or anxiety.

I have been on Zoloft for 13 years - I am diagnosed third-generation bipolar. My life was a disaster before. I have been doing well on it and if I happen to lag a few days between script refills (I know- I shouldn't do that) My life spins out of control and I am angry, sad and paranoid. It has given me a life but lately it seems I am having more anxiety then ever and my doc tells me to do research for a new drug to try - I just don't know where to strat. I'm surrently taking 200 mg/day. I think I just need a higher dosage but have never heard of anyone taking 200 much less anyone taking more. It's good - can save your life. I just wish I knew what MY next step shuld be.

I took 200 mg zoloft for over two years. It made me hypomanic, and I only slept one or two hours a night. I recently found out that I am bipolar. Now I take a mood stabilizer (Trileptal) for the bipolar and Methylin for the ADHD. No more antidepressants for me!

I have been taking aderroll 30mg XR for about a year and recently started taking Zoloft 50mg for about 2 -3 weeks to help relieve some of the anxiety the aderroll causes. I have noticed that I am in more of a tranquill state and just sitting on my couch watching tv all day with no desire to work. With just the aderall at least I had somewhat a desire to work. I'm wondering if this will improve or maybe I should switch to xanax

Concerning Zoloft,
I have been on it a while, and it really helped my depression, unfortunately I have had some side effects, firstly total loss of sexual function, luckilly my husband is very understanding, next bruising which is getting worse, I just touch something and i get a big purple mark, and also bleed easily. When I noticed both my arms were covered in bruises I decided to check the internet and found a connection I wasnt even looking for. I am now considering getting off zoloft, but dont want to be depressed again! What is my choice? I have also notice a little eye floater thing? Any answers?

After reading many of the comments on Zoloft, I think those with the most side effects are taking too high of a dose. My Dr. started me off 3 weeks ago with 1/2 of a 25 mg. tablet. It works! Exercise more if you feel you're gaining weight--thats good for you too. Try a lower dose--you have little to lose!

I was on Zoloft for just 6 weeks when I realized I was also brusing on my legs...at this time I was currently working in food services and was requiered to take down large numbers of chairs so my legs were COVERED in bruses...my doctor told me not to take it anymore b/c it was a serious side effect..I am currently not on anything and I have gotten no where wth anything...I have not had good luck...

I have been on zoloft for serveral times on and off over the last 2 years... everytime that i start tapering onto the drug at 50mg i feel really drugged about 2 hrs after i take it, this continues for the first 4 days or so. once that is over and i start taking 100mg i feel very little "drugged" side effects. It allseems to go away quick after 2 weeks on the drug. i no longer feel drugged, i just feel normal, no depression. I feel that i can do more with my life.

I have knoticed that if you start taking the pill everyday around evening when you eat dinner you will be able to eat. The nausea level goes down significantly if you take it with food. And taking it at night makes me feel normal during the day, i have more energy and less nausea.

Hi, I just started taking Zoloft about two weeks ago for severe anxiety and depression that Lexapro, which I had been on for a year, was no longer helping. Since starting Zoloft my anxiety and depression have not gotten better - in fact they have increased. I went up to 50mg - and still no difference. I've had frequent intense feelings that I am in another world, like a dream state, totally disconnected; it makes me incredibly anxious and panicky. Should I just wait it out in hopes that things will improve, or is this clearly the wrong drug for me? Thanks.

My 17 year old daughter just started Zoloft one week ago. She gets up very early for high school and has been experiencing extreme nausea. Will this side effect go away and how long does it take? Is there anything to relieve it? She can't eat or drink for fear of vomiting.

I was pregnant and having a lot of problems with anxiety and depression. I took Zoloft my last trimester or so. I think it was 50mg. Worked okay I guess. The first week or so I was drowsy. I liked that, though, because I needed some good sleep. After that, I was never drowsy. Kind of missed it, actually. It did level out my moods a little. It didn't eliminate the depression, but it minimized it, and helped with the anxiety.

Weight gain? I don't think so. I was pregnant, so I did gain weight, but less than with my previous three pregnancies. Sexual side effects? It's been a while since then, but I think I had a much harder time acheiving orgasm. Wasn't too in the mood either. I don't recall any other side effects from it.

I decided to wean off it my last month of pregnancy, as I'd heard some babies born from Zoloft moms have withdrawal symptoms. I was off it shortly before giving birth. I had no withdrawal symptoms at all.

I should mention that I am heavy, so the dose I got was probably a pretty mild for me.

Hello I just turned thirty in Febuary and I am also in the nursing program. One day in class i was asking one of the students(mind you these students were all younger than me), what should I do about my depression and my cognitive thinking and one of the students said well I celexa, then another students said I take prozac, then another said zoloft. I was wow! hold up all of you are on a drug they all say yeah. So I went to my doctor and he tried me on Lexapro which I know has some good affects, but I want to take something not just for my depression or OCD but something for my cognitive thing. I don't know if I should try a stimulant or wha. I am heathy for the most part I mean I run excercise very active with my 9 year old and my 2year old, but of coarse having relsionship problems, so what is a good drug to use for these problems or what commidations is good?, thanks nakeesha

Have been taking Zoloft now for 9 weeks. I took 25 mg. for 1 week then 50mg. After the 2nd week, I would become aroused very easily. Now I can't hardly even get aroused and I'm taking 75mg. I was sweating very easily and diarreha at a certain time of the day. Zoloft has made me feel happier once in a while, but not too often. Ever since I took Klonopin about 4 years ago, I have had very low Libido. Maybe it is because I'm 40 years old now. Mostly I get depressed because of the diminishing sex drive problem, I wish there was something I could do, it sucks getting older.

I was perscribed 25 mgs but I decided to start slow. I took 12.5 mg for a week and then went up to 25 mgs. For a week an a half I was so fatigued and have weird milnd headaches on the right side of my head. I went baack to 12.5 mgs. After a couple weeks the fatigue went away and anxiety was helped a little but I want to stop taking it-the second I stopped I had horrible stomach aches. Is this normal? How should I taper? Also, if I keep to 12.5 mgs will I avoid weight gain??

I just recently had a baby. 2 months ago to be exact. I have been diagnosed with PTSD. I was on a sample trial of Lexapro mostly for my anxiety issues. When I decided it was working quite well and wanted to fill the RX they told me they will not approve the drug for me. That i need to try 2 generic anti deppressants and fail first. Now I am taking Zoloft. I have been on it 5 days now. I feel VERY off. Im tired and spacey. I don't feel like myself. I dont feel suicidal but I do feel sad and confused??? Is this normal do I need to give it more time? I really realy lked the lexapro and I cant have it it is so frustrating. help please?

I have been on 200mg a day of Zoloft for 11 years strait... Like many here I have put on wait i should be around 80kg but have reached 112kg... thair has been some loss of concentration at times hard to exsplane a feeling of loosing my fine edge I guess... i was a champ archer and I can't aim like that no more... Im still ok but the edge is gone now...I have to work harder to focus some times theres a feeling of safty which maynot be the founded in fact? I'm not shore it's a fine line and may just come on with age or naturly?... sex too requiers more focus and is more a mind thing then phisical maybe thats age too I'm not shor... these are all I'm awere of that mite be side effects for me but who knows sertenly nowon is telling us if we will get cancer or something ells... I'm not shor if people have been taking it for longe enough to find out yet... What I think is this... Zoloft gave me some kind of mentel relief in 3hrs from the first time I took it... they say thats impossible but it was the case for me... my body chemistry seems very suseptible to it and i shore have had a more stable life from its use but I do wish they would come up with a completely side effect free drug to help us all... still thank God we have these newer ones as the old drugs wer HELL I have never tried to come off Zoloft as I feel bad if i miss a dose... but if thier is a Nuro sientist out there who thinks the pills are really harming me I would like to hear from you but dont freek me out for nothing... show us the studies... Good luck to all Bob

Well i have been taking zoloft for 7 weeks now and holy crap. these past three days it has really worked! I feel like i have unlimted self confidence and that i can do anything! It is the most amazing feeling of happiness ever! I was addicted to smoking weed and doing X. when this finally started working the urges to smoke and roll have gone away. I love zoloft and happy that i finally started taking it. It might take a while to work but trust me it is worth it in the end. Hoorayyy for Zoloft. =)

well I have been on ZOLOFT for 12 years. My stomach doc put me on it for IBS. and it helped me. I no longer have IBS. but am depressed and don't understand why it don't help with that. I take lexapro too. I have crying spells an wonder if I will ever be HAPPY again.............

I have been on zoloft for 5 months, and I always feel that after awhile its not really working. I'm currently up to 200 mg a day. However I feel like I am in a dream, and not really experiencing life. If that makes sense. Any suggestions?

I grew up in an abusive family with a history of manic depression (bipoloar) and the effects trickled down to my own child. Thankfully, my ob/gyn suggested I try Zoloft for my out of control rage about 13 yrs ago. I'm still working on my skeletons but have recently decided to decrease from 75 to 50 mg a day. I feel more awake, critical, and needing to hold my tongue more often, but do not feel "blue" or have I experienced any rage episodes. I may be on Z for life which is ok by me. I don't like the migraines or night sweats (which started at 35 and are "not pre-menopausal"), the control I've gained is worth the laundry! My one wish == okay two == no constipation or weight gain!

I started taking antidepressants in 1994. I think Effexor was the first one. It helped. Fast forward to now 9/3/09. A lot has happened in the last 15 years. Other meds I would take and they would help but when I felt better I would go off of them only to go back to depression, irritability, anxiety, and increase in OCD. When I look back now (I'm 60) I can see many times that I was depressed or had spells of irritability. But I never knew why. I never knew I had OCD until just about a year ago. That explains much of my behavior throughout my life. I just didn't know. Here's the list (I'm not bragging, believe me) PTSD (molested at 12), OCD (cost me a lot of money and debt over the years, talk too much, I am a reformed perfectionist, it almost cost me my marriage), SAD (Social Anxiety Disorder, no friends), SAD (Seasonal Affected Disorder, I don't like winter anymore), depression, anxiety, never had any direction in life, never liked any job I worked and I have had many jobs, I have heart disease (4 visits to ER from 1998 to 2008, one heart attack in 2005, other visits just chest pains, 4 stents in an artery now, I have a low self esteem that has always been there, two older brothers, one I never see anymore and the other one I talk to once a week but he is 2000 miles away. I just started Zoloft 3 weeks ago (50mg first 2 weeks, now 100mg for 2 weeks) so I am in the waiting period to feel better. I work in the IT dept of a company and find it very difficult to do any work right now. Concentration, focus, energy, interest level all very low. This post is depressing me even more. I have had a weird life because of these conditions. I can't make decisions very well. I have other problems that I choose not to mention on here. I just always wondered what it would be like to feel what might be considered normal. I haven't since 12. That was a long time ago. I don't drink or smoke (not that that makes me any better than anyone else, I just never did. You'd think with OCD I would have been in all of it including drugs. But I didn't). I got involved in a cult-like church for about 21 years, which left a big mark on me. But the depression, anxiety, OCD and everything played a big part in my life searching for something I have never found yet. Now this blog is about Zoloft so see how I talk too much and go off on tangents. I hope this stuff does the trick this time. I don't like how I feel emotionless again. And sex? Fahgetaboutit! I have been married for 31 years and my wife has to take meds for bi-polar disorder so we are both kind of in the same boat. Oh well, that's life. I had better shut up now. My email address is gf3c4db@gmail.com just in case you feel inclined to talk. If you met me, you would like me, I am easy going, very passive, and am good at covering all this up. I treat people with respect and my parents taught me good manners. We had two kids, one of each, daughter is a kindergarten teacher and loves it, son is bi-polar and it has caused him a lot of problems. We still love them both unconditionally. Ok, OK, back on a tangent again. Zoloft, that's the subject. I better stop now. God bless everyone on here!!

The doctor placed me on 25mg. of zoloft per day.For panic attacts can it cause weight gain? Also do you know of some good books to read about panic attacts.
People have told me to when I have one thy said that my face tighten up and I made a funny face for just a few seconds. Is this one of the symptoms?
Thank you Beatrice

I am so thankful for Zoloft. It has really helped me, before I was very depressed and had anxiety problems, I could not control my anger, my moods were all over the place, I was afraid to speak to people, i could not relaz, and more. I have been taking Zoloft for about 4 months and I have been doing great. Peole see a change in me, they do not know the details but they say I am opening up more. My life is better. At first I was afraid to go seek help I embaressed, but now I know there is nothing wrong with getting help,because now I fell so much better, I hav more confidence I am comfortable with being me. DO NOT be embaressed if you think you need prefessional help, go get it. Your life will change. Zoloft in particular may not work for you, but you ca ntry other medications, because I was on Prozac at first and it did not help me, It made me loose my apetite. Go for it!

Hi,
I read your e-mail Mina which you posted on 7/22/05. I am 37 years old and have been on Zoloft since I was 24 (13 years). It has really helped my depression and anxiety and agreed very well with me. I totally agree with you that it keeps you out of the "parking garage". Yes, I also at times feel a full range of emotions - happy, calm, peaceful, enthusiastic, but also sad - however not that really bad depression that I got when I was not on it. Now, my husband and I want to have a baby. I have been weaning off of a 150 mg of Zoloft for about 4 months now. I am down to 65.5 mg. I feel extremely tired despite the fast that I am exercising 4-6 times a week. I don't feel depressed or anxious but just extremely exhausted. Has anyone else experienced this? Has anyone tried to wean off Zoloft for the purpose of trying to get pregnant?

I am taking sertraline which is the same a zoloft. My blood sugar has gone down really low since I started 6 weeks ago. I am taking 50 ml and I cutting it back to 25ml and then stopping it. i am weak and hungry all the time because of low blood sugar. I dont want this any more.

I'm 16 and i've only been taking zoloft 200mg for about 5 months and i am having these weird side effects.
I cant seem to concentrate anymore in school and im more emotional. Since i have been taking zoloft it has only increased my suicidal thoughts, i've gained about five to ten pounds since starting zoloft 200mg. but im not fat or chunky yet.
sometimes if i accidentaly forget to take my meds i get extremly tired but on days when i do take it i have mood swings but seem to handle them somewhat okay. i get alot more irritable and depressed.

Finally a solution to not enjoying my life! I am on just .25mg per day and it's been day four and holy sh!* am I a happy camper! Yay for Zoloft! I love being in public on this stuff I can conquor anything! Anyhow I am excited to see further down the road like what it will be like in a couple months or even a year. Here is praying this stuff still keeps me this high in the clouds! I too don't even feel a bit like smoking no way! WOW I love this Sh!*! Honest after so long of not being happy with the day to day drudge and trudge whoooohooooo am I a happy woman! 26 yrs old 1 child, fantastic husband and just a brady life, before Zoloft I could not find the happy me and now I can! THANK YOU ZOLOFT! But true it's not right for every person. Good luck everyone!

I'm 26 and Im starting on my second week of generic Zoloft called seranine or something like that. I still think a lot which has put me in a panic state. I just want these meds to kick in. It's so frustrating! I want to be able to go out and find a girl...but I cant because I'm too depressed to function normally. Please please PLEASE work for me zoloft!! It may take several weeks for the meds to kick in and I'm having a real hard time trying to be patient. Anyway thats my story. 1.7 weeks into it...still anxious and depressed.

I have been having recent feelings of general anxiety & depresssion (a nasty divorce in my family, a(nother) friend dying of cancer, stress at work r/t understaffing...) I have been more emotional and having more crying spells so my Dr. prescribed me 50mg generic Zoloft. I am only on my 2nd day and can't stop sleeping. I feel like I am in a haze and just want to sleep all day. Will this pass? I was thinking of cutting my dose in 1/2 or even taking 1/2 a pill in the morning & 1/2 a pill in the evening. My first day I took it at night & couldn't sleep.
I have read all the previous comments and am still unsure if I should continue taking this drug, if it is right for me. I have a 4 year old & a 6 year old I take care of during the day and a very supportive husband.

I have been having recent feelings of general anxiety & depresssion (a nasty divorce in my family, a(nother) friend dying of cancer, stress at work r/t understaffing...) I have been more emotional and having more crying spells so my Dr. prescribed me 50mg generic Zoloft. I am only on my 2nd day and can't stop sleeping. I feel like I am in a haze and just want to sleep all day. Will this pass? I was thinking of cutting my dose in 1/2 or even taking 1/2 a pill in the morning & 1/2 a pill in the evening. My first day I took it at night & couldn't sleep.
I have read all the previous comments and am still unsure if I should continue taking this drug, if it is right for me. I have a 4 year old & a 6 year old I take care of during the day and a very supportive husband.

Day four of Zoloft-my anxiety has lifted, I feel a lot more easy going, focuses, interested in things again. I don't feel so foggy/drugged like day one. It's nice and I can already see a change in me. My side effect: Loss of appetite, I'm a little jittery and my muscles seem to tense up....I will keep you posted.

I have Been on zoloft for 13 yrs . I'm 27 now . I had panic attacks that all started when I Tried marajuana once. I panicked after I had.. Couldn't sleep. Lost weight n felt like u was going nuts. since then I have always suffered panick attacks . I started on 50. Now I'm on 100.
I had my daughter at 18 and lowered my dose to 25 whilst pregnant . Doc said it was fine to still take. I still often get panic attacks more so when I'm tired or haven't had enough sleep or if I haven't been having a good diet. At (that time of the month) My hormones are all over the place and I get it a bit then. I'm a Lot calmer now . I can drink alcohol and that doesn't affect me at all. I prefer to take it at night I'll sleep better that way. I try and keep active also. Help with any tension build up. Only side effect I have is I jar vivid dreams . Well that's quite normal really . I don't think I'll ever try to stop taking them as they have really helped me get thru my panic and negitive thinking. Also when I first started them I felt quite numb and couldn't get aroused at all. That soon went away . All in all I don't think zoloft is fix but it defo helps and u have to do the rest urself:)

Hi. I was diagnosed with Sinus Tachycardia a few months ago and am currently on beta blockers and channel blockers, but the palpataions (pounding heart) still occur on a daily basis. My heartrate goes up without warning at times to 165. I was prescribed Ativan to take as the EP Dr thinks anxiety is playing a factor in this. Even with the Ativan the palpations are still occuring. So yesterday my PCP Dr suggested I go on Zoloft 50mg to help control the palpataions. I am very concerned about starting this medication. I don't want to feel like im in a Haze or drugged up. Any advise on if I should start this medication and if anyone has been put on this medication for the same reasons?

I have been on zoloft for almost a month. My dr. started me off low dose then slowly increased after a week. I am feeling much more in contol. I am way less angry. I feel that zoloft is really helping me with my problems. I have the energy to work out more, and desire to eat less. I feel that this is really helping my depression and able to stabilize my feelings. I am less angry and upset with my kids and happy with my life.Definitely give this a try and see what works for you

I'm 20 and I started taking Zoloft almost a month ago. I had depression where I would cry every day, and I couldn't help but think about sad things and everything that was wrong in my life. I had no friends except for my boyfriend, and I felt that I was ruining our relationship with my depression. I never felt suicidal however, because I think that it just causes more problems for the people you love. I've steadily gained weight in the last 2 years, 60 pounds, and I had a problem with being tired all day long. I started taking Zoloft after speaking with my doctor, and since she said I'm always sleepy, that I should take the pills at night because they may make me drowsy. The first day I took it, I felt nauseous at night and in the morning, but I slept like a rock. Within 30 seconds of my head hitting the pillow, I was out, and woke up in the exact same position. This whole thing lasted for about the first week. Now I don't sleep AS well, but still a big improvement from before, and I'm even more sleepy during the day. The nausea went away luckily, and besides the drowsiness, I don't see any other side effects. Ever since the first day I took Zoloft, I have not cried, or really been sad at all. I've enjoyed the feeling of being free, but there is one thing that I've noticed. I tried to look back at what use to make me sad, and it's like a mental block. I know the gist of what they were, like about my mom, dead dog, etc, but I can't focus on any details. I explained it to my boyfriend and he started asking me how strong this mental block is and asked me what I would feel if he died. I tried to picture it, but couldn't, it was impossible. I know that I would be heart broken, but I can't picture the past or future, only the present. I think it's a good thing, but I still find it weird that I can't be sad about it. Now I'm super curious and I'm waiting for something sad to happen so I can see how I take it. I've only had sex twice since taking the medicine, but I don't see any changes. I'd reccommend this medicine to everyone. It has different effects for everyone, but for me its perfect, except that I can fall asleep any time I get comfy. I hope this helped, and if anyone has any questions, you can send me an email =) Kona570@hotmail.com

I was on 100 mg of Zoloft for about 9 years. I weaned off of it for the past 6 months and was totally off of it starting in May. Recently, my anxiety and obsessive thoughts came back I bring things to the extreme.
I am hoping that it helps me again. I started at .25 for a few days then went to .50 for a week then .75 for the past two weeks and now I will be at .100mg. I am worried that it isn't going to help. I am on Klonopin until the Zoloft kicks in. I take .25 of it during the day and .5mg at night. I am afraid of getting addicted. I lay awake at night worried that I won't get better this time. I am doing all the things I normally do...work out, go to work. I just am worrying that I won't get better this time.

Zoloft caused an absolute NIGHTMARE!! I think it ruined my life. While taking it, I couldn't sleep and it drove me nuts. I ended up in an unethical hospital with a money grubbing quack of a " doctor ". It was a living HELL all because of that rotten zoloft!!! Stay away from it!!

I started taking 50mg of Zoloft 2 1/2 weeks ago for handling stress. I started feeling a difference w/in the first week. i was able to just let things go and my stress levels reduced drastically. In the last couple of days my stress level is creeping back up and Im on edge horribly. Its friday evening and i get ahold of my dr until monday. Is it safe to take another half and make it 75mg or even double it to 100mg? Ive noticed alot of people on much higher doses, so will it hurt me to take more?

I had been taking generic zoloft for 8-9 months. It worked great! I felt wonderful. Recently the pharmacy changed generic manufacturers. I took the "new" one for 2 days which gave me horrible anxiety. I found a pharmacy that had my original generic Greenstone and switched back after only 3 days. It did the same thing. I lowered my dose thinking that might help. For the first 2 days I still had the nervousness (jitters, anxiety, jumpiness) Most of that has went away here on day 4. One thing, my heart rate is up and after I eat it seems to race more which makes me feel even more uncomfortable. Has anyone had this experience? Does this go away? I thought going back to the Greenstone would work but it seems I have started a new med all over again. Dry mouth and such. I didn't have the nervousness when I first started though. Maybe different distributors or different facilties that make this drug (even though its the same brand) use different fillers. I have no clue.

Ive been on a few different drugs for depression and PTSD. prozac and celexa drove me into rageful mixed states with some relief from depression. Lots of weight gain on celexa and lots of anxiety on prozac. Both caused me a lot of weight gain. zoloft is lighter on that.
zoloft has helped me with the rage and PTSD symptoms but it has made me uninterested in social contact. It has turned off a lot of the depression but its still there in the background.
at 150mg it gives me heart palpitations and some sedation. benefit does not outweigh risk for me over 100mg.
Overall this drug is the best one Ive tried.

If you get on one of these SSRIs and start getting really irritable, tell your doc ASAP.. seriously, mixed states can be very dangerous.

I was prescribed zoloft in September of last year. Urgent Care Facility said I was not crazy, they felt that I was severly depressed due to the death of my 25 year old. Son who died in May of 2008. I am still taking the pills but never folllowed up with mental health dr. cause no ins. Now I feel as if im losing my mind, thoughts, and ability to accomplish anything. Feel like a terrified child. What should I do?

get some psychiatrist opinions. Anyone would get scared to death reading scary web posts. It may be for you, it may not. If it's not, and you have side effects, its only a little bit of time and you will find something that WILL work. Therapy can also help someone tackle their issues so they can effectively get off this medicine

I just recently started taking Zoloft about 3 weeks ago and feel a bit foggy at times. My physician told me that if I didnt hydrate enough during the day that the medication can actually get stronger in the body. She said this can be the case for any medication.

I learned this from my primary doctor not my psychiatrist so I will be drinking more water.

I have been taking Zoloft for 7 weeks. Started on 50mg and now at 100mg. Depression set in after sleep deprivation.

I feel GREAT. Some tingling in hands and feet, but I feel in control and no anxiety. For me ...Zoloft has given me hope and I appreciate the people and things around me. NO abnormal thoughts nor day dreaming. Just feel great to be alive and grateful.

I love poetry, been majorly depressed for about 5 years, never sought help. Tried to think alcohol and drugs could mask my indifference but it's only temporary. Finally went to seek help, got perscribed zoloft, 150mgs. In 5 years every poem i wrote was dark morbid and plain jim morrisonish dysphoric. This is the brightest i've felt and wrote in years. I wrote this poem titled:

SERTALINE

Who know's how far you'll go
When you belive in your own soul
Trusting your own head
ditching the autonomous dread

Plagued with worry
Fading hope
I never believed in myself
the prodigal mope

What's so glorious about burning out?
When were all going to get there
and we'll regret fighting the unknown
with our cop out doubt

We can hope God forgives
the waste of lives
all those ripe with deceit
Everybody who gave up on themselves
and stopped their own beat

So why be afraid of something so certain
It's all blurred and slurred
When we all want to go back,
We choose to see and trust everything black

Now it's time to worry about me
How can one and himself disagree?
we can reinvent our forgotten
self esteem
We can have dreams
and belive in things
be proud of ourselves
we can tell our head's
we are kings & queens

Will go step by step
it might not be all it seems
but never go a day with out remembering
what your life means.

I have been taking zoloft for almost over a month, but I feel worse than before. I am also taking serquel xr 300mg. I feel something going on my top of the brain, I can not contro my sleep pattern, i fall asleep at different time, and i feel dizzy and tired I hardly progress in my dialy work and easily give up on hard task. i can not take challenges in my life. I fee worthless and down. I can not make friend and maintain friendship, it seems i run away from people.
I dont know if it is better zoloft in the morning or in the evening.

I find it hard to believe that with all the negative side effects Zoloft and all other antidepressants can still legally be prescribed. I had a serious breakdown after taking Zoloft for 3 years. It helped me alot for awhile, however, 3 years later I am still piecing together back my life as a result of whatever it was that drug did to me during that duration of time

To be getting our answers from the people who only want to take our money and have no concern for what these pills actually achieve long term is quite absurd. It took me time to come to this realization however eventually we have to realize that there is no "magic pill". We (they)(the drs) will prescribe you a drug that "changes the chemistry" in our brains...how so? DOES THIS EVEN SEEM FEASABLE TO YOU. Evenetually the hoax wil be brought to light, we as Americans need to take more responsibility for our own health and stop looking to pills to fix things. I do not look down upon people who take them, I am warning people that this is not something to be taken lightly. Our brain is us....did God make us defective??

Just wondering if sertraline can make you angry when taking it . My doctor has recently added Wellbutrin to the mix and it has seemed to help, but I ran out of my sertraline and was with out it and just taking the Wellbutrin and felt great, something I haven't felt in awhile. The next day my sertraline was filled and I took it and I just felt this rage of anger set in with dizziness and headaches, which went away when I just took Wellbutrin. Am I going crazy or is this possible? So the next day I stopped taking the sertraline and have been off of it for five days and dizziness is not so bad and headaches have stopped, but now I must be having withdrawal symptoms because I feel weird almost like a floaty feeling and my head feels different and my body hurts. I seem to have more energy and not so zombie like, my husband(which catches all of this) has seen a big change in me also he says I'm not angry anymore and not snapping his head off all the time. I have a doctors appointment on Tuesday. If I had to pick which person I like better I would have to say the one off of sertraline. Has anyone else or know someone that has had this happen to them. I would love to feel like this everyday, but don't know if I should try something else with the Wellbutrin or just take it by itself. I'm a little freaked out and scared at the same time any information would greatly appreciated. Thanks:/

I have been on Zoloft for 1.5 years to treat anxiety and depression. I n my mid-forties I found that I was suddenly having panic attacks and I eventually slid into clinical depression. I am taking Zoloft at 150 mg/day. I have become myself again. I have not experienced weight gain except to gain back the weight that I lost before I was diagnosed with depression. I unintentionally lost 15 pounds over a period of year when I was becoming anxious and depressed. My weight was considered perfect for my height before the loss. With the improvement in my mood, my appetite returned in part and I gained back 10-12 of the pounds I lost. When I look at photos of myself before I was treated for depression I look almost anorexic but I was oblivious to fact that I was eating less. My weight is perfect now and I am not gaining more weight with the zoloft. I assume everyone responds differently to medications. It may also be related to how individuals cope with depression. Some eat with depression and others do not. I lose my appetite with depression while I have friends who eat more with depression. When I do feel low my appetite is reduced-tthis might be why I have not gained weight above what I should weigh while taking Zoloft.
I am very happy with the medicine. I do experience sexual side effects. My libido is not lower but I rarely have an orgasm now but I still enjoy sex with my spouse. When I was depressed I had no libido whatsoever so I guess there are always trade-offs.
I did try Cymbalta (an SNRI) before Zoloft and I had tremors while on the medication and had a manic attack while going off the medication. I do not have manic depression (or bipolar syndrome) so the manic attack was a bizarre and frightening experience for me. I have not had anything strange experience, as far I know, with Zoloft. I am very happy with this medication. One of my closest friends has also tremendous success with Zoloft, but I also have friends who have had success with very different medications.

I have been on zoloft for about 5 months and it has changed my life. For years and years I would describe myself as an anxious person. I spend most of my time worrying and stressing about everything. After a bad break up my dosage was increased to 200 mg per day and I have a totally new lease on life ever since. Has been about 2 months. I don't worry about anything. I feel completely alert and aware of what's happening around me but for the first time in years am not stressing about the future. Only side effects for me have been increased sweating and body heat. But totally worth it to feel like a normal person with normal emotional range.

Im a 24 married mother of 2. Ive been on zoloft for 6 months. At first I loved it. It gave me the energy to play with my kids. I had the desire to actually get out of the house and have some fun. The house was clean. I had new energy to take care of myself. Well about 5 weeks in I started experiencing some bad side effects. Stomach issues. Bad sex. Acne. And overall I felt like a zombie. Like I was just going through the motions. Sure, the house was clean. Sure, I played hide and seek with my kids that day. But it wasn't fun, it wasn't bad either. It was just WAS.
I weaned myself off of it over 2 weeks. But now I feel worse than I ever felt before starting the medication. I'm weepy and irritable. Everything makes me scream in frustration or sob in desperation.
I don't know what to do. I'm so much worse than I ever was. But I'm afraid to start the meds agian. I don't want to go through my life as a zombie... but I don't want to be angry either..
I don't know what to do. I'm just fed up..

I was perscribed zoloft at the beginning of this year for depression and anxiety and the main side effect I experienced was nausea particularly in the morning, Most days I would wake up feeling sick and could not stomach anything until about 2pm... It was horrible and I felt worse. But this eventually wore off and I began to feel like a whole new person, like a person I had always wished I could be, so happy and positive and enthusiastic about life. Due to not being able to stomach food for a while it did make me lose at least 2/3 kgs for me bieng a light weight made quite a bit of difference....

After a few months of being on the medication and going to therapy I felt so good I felt like it was time to go off the meds. I weined myself off and felt fine for at least a month. Then everything came crashing down and I felt just as depressed and anxious as I had before. I have just gone back on the meds... Its been about a month and Im waiting to see if it will come into effect again! I just want how I felt a few months ago to come back! Now im going through feeling nauseas all the time and it sucks! But if it will eventually wear off and the meds will work its worth it,

I am 16 years old. I have only been taking Zoloft for about a month for major depression and anxiety. The only time I had side effects were the first couple of days taking it. I felt like crap! but after a week of taking 100 mg I felt a lot better. Each week I feel better and better and I feel more alive. I've realized that I've been craving sweet stuff all the time since I started taking it though.
I hate that I had to start taking this medicine when I'm so young because I don't want to have to depend on it my whole life, but I'd say it was worth it because without it, I doubt I'd be here right now.

I dont know if anyone else has something similar to this but i will just share what I have. I was diagnosed with adhd when i was about 9 i am 17 now and was put on adderall a few years ago. I have terrible anxiety that has influenced OCD throughout my life. At its peak i was so nervous of everything that i would have many series of repetitions that caused multiple blisters on my hands (from closing doors and ect.) My mom became very worried at this and sent me to see a therapist/phycologist idk what one. He didnt seem to care what I had to say and was instantly ready to throw me onto medication before i had went into detail about how bad it was. He told me it was just my ADHD and that he would prescribe me adderall. My anxiety grew as i took it and it got extremely bad. After a few trips back to him i told him more about how serious my anxiety was and that maybe my ADHD wasnt the problem. He put me on zoloft and to be honest i didnt see a difference. On the weekends i wouldnt take my adderall because i wouldnt have school and i also would not take my zoloft. I would feel extremely sick (headaches,chills,body aches) and would stay home all the time because of how sick i felt. I noticed that when i would get angry, when i didnt take my medication, my anger would multiply to where, my vision would blur and i felt a wierd sensation like almost my whole face/head would feel as if it where vibrating. I started taking my adderall and zoloft throughout the weekend so i could concentrate on homework even though my anxiety was terrible. I slowly noticed even when i would take my zoloft i became depressed and all i wanted to do was sit do something productive and deal with anxiety in the meantime. So to me it sounded like the zoloft did nothing. For a while i lost complete social skills and i felt as if i had nothing to say to anyone. my life would revolve around homework and i eventually would just stay home on the weekends do my homework, watch tv,and not talk to anyone. I was to afraid to leave the house and i still am today. I noticed this and realized i wasnt happy with my life so i stopped taking the meds. I have stopped taking the meds and i noticed i am always dizzy and thinking through what seems to be a fog. It has actually taken so much effort to gather my thoughts just to write this. I feel i am very happy with myself and i dont have as much anxiety as i usually do when taking my meds and i feel happier! I am very into art and when i dont take my meds my projects increase in quality quite a bit! i am much happier without my meds but my family thinks i am to hyper and are almost immediate to put me on a medication. They are now scheduling me an appointment to the doctor to lower the medication and i have argued with them several times about this and dont know where to turn which is why i am posting here. If you have the same symptoms as me just know theres more people out there.

I have been on zoloft for 3 years . I was very depressed and suffered from extreme anxiety for years, and even tried to end my life. I was put on zoloft and found it to be a miracle drug I'm on 150 mg a day. There are times when I missed days not taking my med and I felt depressed and not myself. I will need to be on this for the rest of my life and if this is what I need to give me my life back then it's worth it. I am happy and can cope with life challenges now. For those people out there suffering with depression I urge u to seek medical help.There is meds that can help. U just need to find the right one for you.

I'm the wife of a man taking Zoloft prescribed to him for anxiety/panic attacks. He has been taking it for about a month now. He says he feels normal again which is awesome! BUT. I've noticed he's been different half the time and not in a good way. Before, he'd go to work, come home, play his computer game and then go to bed. Now it's come home (at 6:45pm) and go straight to bed. I worry he is depressed. Maybe he always was and now that he is feeling normal again, this is his way of reaching out, where normally he used to just bottle things up. Or worse, the Zoloft is causing depression. Any comments, suggestions?

i have been taking welbutrin for some years now and a friend of mine said to me, it really helps be feel happy.I dont know what happy is anymore. I do have moments where i dont feel down, and i can laugh and joke, but mostly i feel down and dont really care about things the way i used to. I dont have any thoughts of suicide.I have know 2 people that have done this. My Grandfather and recently our minister last month.I would like to feel joy and happiness again. I have a wonderful husband and grown and married kids,(they can be a source of my depression at times, but nothing terrible. I have had at least 3 bad things happen in my life, that could have triggered this, i dont really know, but that is what i have read. I would just like to feel somewhat happy sometime.We have a grandbaby due in July, and i want to enjoy him and my life and family. I am also a introvert, and i am not comfortable in crowds and prefer to be alone most of the time. That is a good part of my story, condensed. Thanks

Zoloft turned me into a raging alcoholic, I didn't even drink when I got on it.. I am a 48 yr old male who has struggled with depression my whole life. My father and his mother do as well.
I was on nortriptyline for about 6 yrs in which time I built an empire and small fortune. My wife decided she wanted a divorce, and my depression was triggered. After 6 yrs nortriptyline was not helping anymore. My Doctor put me on zoloft. It served a purpose and got me out of a suicidal state.
At the time I had 22 employees and a very busy excavating company that I built from the ground up..
Suddenly out of no where I started to crave alcohol, something I had never done before. I drank very little at the time.
Soon I was drinking 18 to 20 beers a day, I couldn't stop.
I could no longer run my business. I couldn't even remember how I ran so many jobs and people. Long story short I lost everything.. I thought it was from depression but it was from the zoloft.
I realized when I quit the zoloft cold turkey because I forgot to take it on a trip that within a few days I wasn't drinking or thinking about beer at all..
My ex wife took my children 2000 miles away and I fell back into a real dark lonely place.. I had to take zoloft to get out of that place.. Within 2 weeks I was craving beer by 9:00am every morning and I stopped doing everything that was important to me.
I was then watching a show about a woman in Florida who had shot her 2 young boys after a Doctor had her on a cocktail of antidepressants.. On the show she said that she noticed that when she was on zoloft she craved alcohol uncontrollably..
I went on chat boards and found out there is a percentage of people who have this problem with zoloft..
I had a multi million dollar company before zoloft. I now have nothing.. I don't take zoloft.. There should be warnings for these side effects so people can quit it if they start to be alcoholics.

I have been on sertraline antideppressents for 3 weeks now I started on 50ml a night then a week and a half later I started on 100ml a night but is not making any difference whatsoever I still feel really low exhausted tired. So have changed from last night to take them in the day 100ml. I started taking them in 2012 for about year and a half then just stopped but have started again 3 weeks ago as felt really low again I have a four year old boy and just want.to feel normal again. How long to kick in please???

I have been of 50 mg of zoloft for three weeks. It is unbelieveable how much better I feel. I have PTSD from combat. I did not want to take a drug but was advised to try. I wish that I had taken it years ago. Life no longer sucks.

Ive been on 50mg of zoloft for a month and i want to get off cold turkey my depression, suicidal thoughts, ect has increased from it and i cant sleep at night. i was wondering how long it would take for all of it to be out of my system